BUMPS IN THE ROAD

When ever I am doing a gig, or am at a party, I am always trying to get the word out as to what we are doing collecting instruments. In our area we have a recording studio that has a Christmas party once a year with great food, music, and friends. It was at this party I met Craig Counts, a good guitar picker. Over the last year Craig and I have played a few times together and we enjoy playing together.

A few weeks ago I asked Craig if he wanted to go and help us at a school in West Virginia. Right away he said yes, he would love too, just like that. Craig has a family with two young daughters and a great wife and looks like he has his hands full, but he jumped right on it. For that, Al and I are really appreciative. We know in these times it is not easy.

Well, the 20^th of November rolled around and we all left early in the morning with a van full of instruments. We had plenty of time; what could go wrong? We figured that maybe it might take 4 hours or so, and leaving early never hurts, again what could go wrong?

Now, sometimes in life as they say you hit a bump in the road. In this case, it seems we hit several. First, there was a batch of sheet metal the car in front of us was able to dodge, but we didn’t see in time to avoid. Result- flat tire- not at first, but as we rolled along I could hear something on the right going bump, bump; with a beat, of course. I told Al and Craig in the front seat, “Guys I think we better stop”. So we pulled over in a very windy part of West Virginia. We got the donut spare on to make it to a gas station where we could put a real tire on. Next, we find that one of the lug studs has stripped threads. This meant more time lost, and we just had to sit at this gas station in Beckly, West Va., waiting for parts, what else could go wrong?

We had left very early in the morning to get to the school on time and now this.

When everything finally got done, we left the gas station around 1PM. We had to be there by 2PM and still had lots of miles to make. We talked about it and we all felt if we could get to the school and get the guitars and fiddles there, then our mission’s accomplished. We had been asked to play and if we can make it in time, we will. What more could happen? I was even thinking if the kids are on the bus, we can do a little playing on the bus. I have done that before years ago. We’re to play to the kids right before they go home; the last 45 minutes of the school day. So again, if we can make it there, we still have a plan. Craig is doing the best he can to get us there on time.

West Virginia is full and turns and twisty small roads so you cannot go that fast. Sometimes you even get behind a logging truck going up hill (common in these parts). So of course we find the school just as all the buses are pulling out. Elaine Purky and her husband and the Principal and music teacher have all been nice enough to wait for us, and are standing there waiting as we roll in. They all wave and smile and we introduce ourselves and tell them we are so sorry in getting there so late. We get acquainted as we start bringing in the guitars and fiddles.

This part of the operation goes fairly smoothly until we try using the camera. Apparently over the years we have worn out the trigger. Bump…thump…bump. (Well, we have used it a lot!) Thank goodness Craig brought his camera too, so we were able to get some pictures.

After exchanging more information and starting a plan for a return trip, we say our goodbyes and start on our way home. Little did we know that there were more bumps in our road yet to come.

We now knew the way, so we figured it would be simple getting back. And it would have been, but we got so wrapped up in the events of the day that we didn’t pay attention to the gas gauge. Yep, you guessed it. We ran out of gas and had to pull off on the side of the Interstate 81 Nort. (Bump…) Fortunately, we were just shy of an exit, (well, about 2 miles shy) and within walking distance of a gas station. Of course, we also didn’t have a gas can with us, so we had to get a can AND gas. At this point, we were wondering which one of the travel gods we had cheesed off.

But wait, there’s more! By the time we walked all that way, the car’s battery had run down from having to run the hazard lights for so long, so even though we had gas now, we still weren’t going anywhere. Our luck was holding steady…(Bump…)

Calls to friends didn’t find any help available, and no other cars seemed willing to stop, so we were getting ready to start pulling hair out. At last somebody somewhere took pity on us, and a trooper pulled up to check on us. All we needed was a jump start, and we had cables, so this fine gentleman saved our bacon and gave us that jump. (THANK YOU officer!) Sometimes you CAN find a cop when you need one!

Now powered up and gassed up (not to mention fed up. with ourselves mostly), we got to the gas station and refueled and, crossing our fingers, started the last leg of the trip. We made it the rest of the way home without further incident. (Halleleujah!)

All in all, even though it was a crazy day, the end result was some kids who needed instruments now have them. And that’s the whole point.

Still Pickin'

Bill Hudson

Al Coffey

Craig Counts

Video From Buras, Louisiana

When I was going through some of my files I found this video and wanted to share it with some of you that have not heard of what we are doing. Here is one of the trips we made down in Buras, Louisiana. You can see and hear what other folks have to say about being a part of the Feel Good Tour. Thanks.

To view the video, click here.

Still Pickin’

Bill Hudson

http://www.dragonfly.com/ is sending entertainers to the devastated areas in Louisiana and Mississippi

Making happy faces

Thank you New York!

The Photo above is of one of the schools we have adopted and the kids with their instruments that have been donated.


While I have been in here in New York we have collected:
4 Guitars
1 Electric bass
1 clarinet
4 thumb pianos
1 large conga
1 small drum
1 toy guitar
1 tambourine
While I have been here the in New York folks have been very kind and very giving. I am hoping to return some time and all of us from The Feel Good Tour want to thank each and everyone. We always say it one to one from the all the folks giving and the kid’s receiving.

Still Pickin’

Bill Hudson
http://www.dragonfly.com/ is sending entertainers to the devastated areas in Louisiana and Mississippi

Thank You Paul!

So while I have been here in New York I have been going to open mikes around the Hudson Valley to get the word out in trying to get more instruments for the kids. I do a few songs and talk about what we are doing down in the Gulf Coast.
At one open mike in Beacon, New York at the Highland center I did just that. It was a small affair held in a hall that is used for concerts and holds some blown up B&W photos on the walls of yesterday. It uses to be a library and it has a walkway that goes around the whole room with beautiful woodwork all around. Beacon use to be a real factory town with now many old building that is still standing. The whole town has gone through a transition in the last few years. Many of the building are now rebuilt and Beacon looks like it has a fresh new paint on it.
So Paul was the host and after I did my set he came up to me and said,” I think I have a guitar or two. Can you meet me at my gig tomorrow?” I said, “Sure I’d love too.” So the next day I showed up at a Irish bar where he was playing. Sat down and gave a listen to Paul’s set. After his set he showed me his guitars that he wanted to give to us. We talked for a while and Paul had to get back to work. I thanked him again and told him I would stop by when I would be in town .Still Pickin'
Bill Hudson
http://www.dragonfly.com/ is sending entertainers to the devastated areas in Louisiana and Mississippi

More Instruments from Kingston,NY

While I have been here in New York I tried to get the word around with what we are doing down in the Gulf Coast as much as possible. Once a month, the 1st Friday of the month the Beacon Sloop Cub,http://www.beaconsloop.org/ has a meeting/pot luck/ music jam. Its fun to see other folks I have not seen in a while. They come from all over the place and it would be a good time to make an announcement about The Feel Good Tour.
What seems like longer then 30 years ago I was apart of the Beacon Sloop club,http://www.beaconsloop.org/. At the time the city let us use an old dinner and turn it into our club house. Now you may be asking what the Beacon Sloop Club is. Well, it is an organization to help clean up the Hudson River in their own back yard. They are apart of a larger organization, the Clearwater, /www.clearwater.org/ While I have been here in New York I tried to get the word around with what we are doing down in the Gulf Coast as much as possible. Once a month, the 1st Friday of the month the Beacon Sloop Cub has a meeting/pot luck/ music jam. Its fun to see other folks I have not seen in a while. They come from all over the place and it would be a good time to make an announcement about The Feel Good Tour.


.Pete Seeger introduced me to what they were doing way back. An idea was simple, but tons of work in trying to clean up the river so we can all swim and eat fish out of it, not a bad idea.
So, everyone gets to make an announcement and I did just that, let everyone know if they have a instrument I would gladly go to their home and pick them up. The music jam sometimes gets to be pretty late and after 11PM we were all packing up our instruments heading to our cars. One young man came up to me who name was Kevin and told me, “I think I have a few instruments, would you like them?” I said, “Sure that would be great”. And he told me to call him when I could come up to Kingston,NY.
So the next week I did just that and he told me he would meet me at a as station near the highway. The picture above is Kevin at that gas station.
Another person helping the kids down in the Gulf Coast.
Still Pickin'
Bill Hudson
http://www.dragonfly.com/ is sending entertainers to the devastated areas in Louisiana and Mississippi

Thank You David Amram

I have been doing more gigs and radio interviews in the New York area again, including playing again at the Putnam County 4-H Fair. It’s a lot of fun. There are two days of great acts, tons of stuff for the kids to do and amazing exhibits. It was at this festival, a few years back, that I met an incredible musician named David Amram.

David can play most any instrument. To watch him is a great treat and I don’t know how he does it, but right in the middle of a song he can change instruments and not miss a beat. He makes it look easy. At the same time David has a fun and has a very playful way about him. He’s also written a book called, “Offbeat- Collaborating with Jack Kerouac.”

Each year, when I see David at the Putnam County 4-H Fair, he is very friendly and always says, “Hey pops.” We talk about music and pretty soon we have to go our own ways. But this year he invited me over to his home so he could give some instruments for the kids in the Gulf Coast. He gave me his card and told me to call him. The following week I gave him a call and we set a date. I invited John Dentato, my music publisher, to come along. John had been with MGM Records and John and David would know some of the same people.

It was raining very hard that day, as it has been all summer, here in the Hudson Valley. I picked John up at the train station and off we went to look for David’s farm.

We finally find the place, a nice small farm by a small stream. David greets us with a big smile and says, “Hi pops.” I introduce John to David and they go over a litany of folks that they both have run across over the years, mostly jazz folks. We sit down in his living room and somehow, four hours seems to just float away. When musicians get together this sometimes happens. Well after a while David says, “Let me see what I have.” He then proceeds towards his basement door and goes downstairs. I hear all this noise and hear David’s voice. Wanting to help out I walk down the stairs and David hands me a few of what looks like Africa drums and thumb pianos plus a electric bass and a small guitar. Not wanting to take any more of David’s time John and I shake David’s hand and thank him for the time and instruments. As we drive away we wave to him and in the back of my mind I am thinking I hope I can stay as open as David has been through the years as he keeps on making greater, fresh new music.

Still Pickin’

Bill Hudson

http://www.dragonfly.com/ is sending entertainers to the devastated areas in Louisiana and Mississippi

The Reason Why

It has been at about a year since we have posted here on this blog. The reasons are many, but mostly because of the economy. In these days we are all trying to pay bills and keep a roof over our heads. We are not a big organization and we have always tried to do much with very little.

For us to make a run down to the Gulf coast, give or take, runs about $800-$1,000. That being said, we have not been able to raise enough funds. But at the same time, it keeps coming back to me the faces of the kids and the teachers in the schools we are trying to help, so we go on.

So, we have been still collecting musical instruments one by one and it has been adding up. I keep telling the stories of what we have been doing in the Gulf Coast at my gigs and someone comes up and tells me they have a flute or an old guitar in their closet. We always talk a bit and then they give me their address and when the time is good for them I drive to their home. It always seems to be a very personal. Sometimes the folks tell me the instrument was their sons or daughters and they have moved on... leaving their instruments behind. And, for a time it was just sitting there all alone in the closet with the other things until we come knocking at the door.

We are keeping the faith in-between times and looking forward to the fall trip we hope to make.

Here is hoping all out there are having a safe and fun filled Summer and keeping the music alive in your hearts.

Still Pickin'

Bill Hudson

http://www.dragonfly.com/ is sending entertainers to the devastated areas in Louisiana and Mississippi